Not that this would ever happen to you…because eerrrrr…it didn’t happen to us….but if “someone” you know got a phone call in the morning to confirm a dinner appointment for later in the evening (which “they” forgot about) and had a house that looked liked a hurricane had blown through it and had no food in the house, this post might be of benefit to “them”!

1. Get more bang for your buck. The focus areas are: a kitchen cleaned up ready for cooking, a clean and inviting bathroom, clear & de-cluttered hallways and entrance, clear the table for eating obviously (you could even get away with setting the table when they arrive if you are totally stuck on time – although this grates some people who find this inviting gesture really important), and have a tidy area they can relax and mingle. And vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!
2. Write a list of what needs to be done: On your list you would include the rooms that need work, time for cooking and shopping etc. Write it all down. *faint* *pick yourself up again* and then go to the next step.
3. Choose a simple meal that isn’t labour intensive: I choose One could choose something like a sage & onion chicken roast (did I mention this was one of those “ready to roast” easy peasy chickens?)with rosemary & garlic roast vegetables. A side of salad and a basket of store-bought rolls. An easy dessert could be a self-saucing fudge pudding with ice cream.
4. Write down the approximate time each task will take. Go down your list and guess how long each task will take. Be realistic. If you can not fit everything in before the guests arrive, then you need to start prioritising and see if you can cut anything out. If your children are really young, realise that you will not have as much time to get everything done, because one adult will be with the children. If your children are older, they can pitch in with certain jobs. You also need to put time aside for lunch and snacks etc.
5. Write out a schedule for the day. Get an A4 piece of paper and write down the time in 15 min increments down the left hand side of the paper. Along the top divide the paper into 3 columns: hubby, you, kids. Start allocating jobs to time slots. For the children’s column write out what activities you will be doing with them today.
6. Adjust the plan. You are bound to have to adjust the schedule as you go along, that is the reality. When you find that things take longer than you thought, quickly adjust the plan to accomodate the change in the schedule.
7. Focus on what needs to be done. Always think, what would have to be done if they were to walk in the door right now.
8. Always think of the bigger picture. Don’t suddenly decide you need to re-organise the entire bookcase when your time could be better spent on other jobs.
9. When the guests arrive, be ok with what you have done. So your house doesn’t look like it would if you had kept on top of it during the week….but recognise that you have done a lot. Give yourself a pat on the back, and enjoy the evening.
10. Vow that you won’t let this happen again. Tell yourself not to rely on your memory next time. Tell yourself that you won’t let your house get in such a state again.  Tell yourself that you will try harder this week……then put your feet up and leave the dishes until tomorrow……….JUST KIDDING!!! Enjoy all the work that you have put in the house today AFTER you clean up.
11. After all that, wonder whether it would have been easier to have ordered pizzas and stick to one room of the house. hahahaha